Hikari

430 names were submitted ,by SoftBank Team Japan’s fans and Hikari, meaning Flash of Light, won the contest to name the yacht.

A  ceremonial “masu” (traditional measuring cup) of Hakkaisan Sake was poured over the bow of the new yacht as the name was announced. Shinto Priest Kai Guji, who traveled from Kagoshima, Japan for the naming, performed a Japanese Oharai purification ceremony for the new boat using special talismans collected from several different Shinto shrines to bless the sailors, the yacht, and the weather.

Hikari is a 15-meter long carbon fiber foiling catamaran evolved from the same test design the team has been training on and developing for the past year in Bermuda. Capable of reaching speeds of over 50 knots, it’s wing sail – similar in design to the wing of an airplane – stands over 25-meters high. (americascup.com)

The boat was conceived over a year and a half ago when this challenger team was born and over 187,000 man hours were spent honing the new technology in the design of this yacht. SoftBank Team Japan has been testing the design on the actual race course for the America’s Cup in Bermuda. Will this have worked to their advantage in May 2017? Stay tuned for the 2017 Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers.